Chhattisgarh CM makes public details of donations received and spent to fight Covid-19

RAIPUR: Chhattisgarh chief minister Bhupesh Baghel on Monday revealed the information about the amount received in CM Relief fund for fighting pandemic Covid-19 and the amount spent. The disclosure comes at a time when Congress is calling for transparency in the Prime Minister’s Citizen Assistance and Relief in Emergency Situations (PM-Cares) Fund.
Ahead of Prime Minister’s meeting with chief minister to discuss about the Covid-19 situation on Monday, Baghel took to twitter, declaring that he was making pubic all details about the donations received to the chief minister’s relief fund from various organisations and people to fight the pandemic Covid-19.

Between March 24 and May 7, he said, the chief minister’s relief fund received donations to the tune of Rs 56,43,8815. "We have already released Rs 10.25 crore to the districts to prevent spread of coronavirus and to provide assistance to the needy people.
"When people are reposing their faith in a government at the time of unprecedented crisis, it becomes my responsibility to maintain transparency", Baghel said and expressed confidence that the people would continue to extend their cooperation.
Welcoming his government's decision to make details of donations public, Chhattisgarh Pradesh Congress committee president Mohan Markam said no details are coming out about PM-Cares fund, despite concerns are being raised over its transparency. He said the Modi government has not made public the amount of donation received by the fund, not yet outlined the composition of its trust besides not clarifying if the fund is already being used.
Rajya Sabha member from Madhya Pradesh Vivek Thanka reacted on twitter describing it as a welcome step saying that it is a public fund which entails for tax exemption. "There is no scope for any secrecy. PM-Cares fund and all such funds of all states have to be transparent", he added.
Earlier, Congress president Sonia Gandhi and Rahul Gandhi demanded transparency in PM-Cares fund pointing out that this fund has received huge contributions from public sector undertakings (PSUs)and major public utilities. Congress has maintained that it is important that PM ensures the fund is audited and that the record of money received and spent is available to the public.